Paul Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, will stand trial in connection with the 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart. San Luis Obispo County judge Craig van Rooyen ruled Wednesday that Paul Flores will be tried for murder. His father Ruben Flores faces charges of being an accessory to a crime, accused of helping his son bury the body and recently move it when the investigation picked back up. The 19-year-old Smart went missing over 25 years ago and Flores was reportedly the last person seen with her, walking home from a party near the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo. After 23 days of a preliminary trial that started on August 2nd, the judge is ruling there was enough evidence provided in order to move forward with the charges. Her body has never been recovered, but she was legally declared dead in 2002. Paul and Ruben Flores will be arraigned on October 20, 2021, at 8:30 am in Department 5 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. Paul is to remain in custody in the San Luis Obispo county jail while Ruben is currently out on bail.
"We continue to support the family of Kristin Smart as we work toward justice," said District Attorney Dan Dow.